Automatic immersion apparatus



Nov. l2, 1963 E. C. WEISKOPF ETAL AUTOMATIC IMMERSION APPARATUS Filed Dec. 23, 1959 2 Sheetsf-Sheet 1 qll Dan/fome? ATTORNEY NOV 12, 1963 E. c. wElsKoPF ETAL 3,110,627

AUTOMATIC IMMERsIoN APPARATUS Filed De. 2:5, 1959 2 sheets-sheet 2 4- IAL ATTORNEY United .States Patent Oiiice 3,119,627 Patented Nov. l2, 1963 3,11Q,627 AUTMAiC lli/.MERSHGN APPARATUS Edwin C. Weisltopt", Brewster, and Anthony Louis Damere, Sir., White Plains, NSE., assignors to The rlechnicon Company, line., Chauncey, NX., a corporation of New Yorlr Filed Dec. 23, 1959, Ser. No. $61,491 Claims. (lil. 11S-425) This invention relates to automatic Iimmersion apparatus in which provision is made for moving material, histologic tissue for example, repeatedly in a liquid during a predetermined time of immersion of the material in the liquid, for improving the action of the liquid on the material.

Apparatus of this type is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,372,894, which is owned by the assignee of this application. As described in said patent, the conveyor by which the material holder is moved at predetermined times into and out of a plurality of receptacles, which contain the liquids in which the material is immersed, is moved repeatedly a short distance by a motor-.actuated mechanism during the immersion periods to effect the repeated motion of the material for the above-indicated purpose. l

lThe primary object of the present invention is to minimize the load or force of the conveyor on the motor and motor actuated mechanism by which the abovemen-tioned repeated movement of the material holder is performed, and thereby tto greatly reduce Wear of the motor-shaft Ihearings and other parts of the mechanism.

Another object is to provide a simple load-relief device, for the above-stated punpose, which can be readily attached to new or to .previously manufactured apparatus, either at the factory or by the user.

Another object is to provide a simple load-relief device which can Abey readily adjusted in respect to its load-relief effect.

'Another object is to provide automatic immersion apparatus with improved means for lrepeatedly moving the tissue or other material back and forth while the material is immersed in the various liquids.

'A further object of the invention is generally to improve the construction and operation of automatic immersion apparatus. l

The 'above and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be fully understood lfrom the following descrlption considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings of the presently preferred embodiment of this inven-tion.

in the drawings:

FIG. l is a side elevational view, partly in section, of an automatic immersion apparatus embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical View, on a larger scale, of the central portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, parts being omitted, and other parts Ibeing brok-en away, or shown in section for purposes of illustration;

PEG. 3 is a vertical sectional view, on a larger scale, taken on line 33 of FIG. 1; and

.FIG 4 is a perspective View of a part of the loadrelief device in accordance with the invention.

Referring now to the ydrawings in detail, and particular-ly to FlG. l, the immersion apparatus described in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,872,894, comprises a ibase 1l?, including a housing l2, and an upwardly extending domeshaped enclosure 14 mounted on said base. Base 1li is provided with a support'l for a plurality of receptacles 18 for various liquid reagents for treating the histologic tissue to prepare it for microscopic examination.

The tissue or other material is disposed in a holder 22 which is' mounted on conveyor 24. The conveyor comprises a carrier 26 which is secured to a tubular shaft 23 by pin 3l). The carrier has a peripheral flange 32 which has secured thereto a plurality of pins or rods 34 circumferentially spaced along the flange. The rods carry the tissue holders 22. It will be understood that the apparatus comprises a series of receptacles 18 disposed laterally of each other, in a circular row, :and that one or more tissue holders, here shown as two, are moved by the conveyor at timed intervals to transfer said holders from one to each of the other receptacles of the series.

A cover V36 is provided to prevent evaporation and contamination of the various reagents in the receptacles. The cover is a flat member having a central opening 38 and a radial width which is slightly greater than the radial width of the receptacles. A plurality of small apertures itl are provided in the cover and the Shanks of the pins pass therethrough, respectively. The pins have heads d2, which are larger than their Shanks, so that upon upward movement of the vconveyor to the position shown in dot-and-dash line i3 of FIG. l, the heads of the lpins engage the cover and lift it off the receptacles. in the indicated raised position of conveyor 24, the holders 22 are clear of the tops of the receptacles 18 so that the conveyor can be turned for positioning said holders above and in registry with the adjacent receptacles and thereafter lowered into the latter -for the immersion period therein. When the holders 22 are in the receptacles, the conveyor is moved repeatedly a short distance, as hereinafter described, for subjecting the material yto the above mentioned repeated movements in the liquid. This small movement of the conveyor takes place Without movement of the cover 36, since the shank of pins 34- have clearance in apertures itl of the cover and the heads i2 of said pins are spaced `from the undersurface of said cover.

As seen in FIGS. l and v2, conveyor shaft 28 is provided with a collar 44 fixedly mounted thereto and engageable by a roller 46 mounted on one lend of a link i8 for effecting vertical movement of the shaft and carrier 26 of conveyor 24, for raising and lowering holders 22 for transfer-ring them, respectively, from one receptacle to another, as fully described in the aforesaid patent. Link 48 is part of a mechanism which is operated by an electric motor 49 and need not befurther described herein as said mechanism does not, per se, form part of the present invention. In order to move the tissue holders laterally after they have been moved out of the receptacles by the movement of link 48, an intermittent rotary 4drive mechanism is provided, part of which is indicated at 50, as fully described in the aforesaid patent.

Referring to FlG. 2, conveyor shaft 23 is mounted for movement in relation to a vertically extending tubular member 52 which is secured to a stationary lframe member 54 by a nut 55. A hollow shaft 56 is `disposed Ibetween tubular member 52 and conveyor shaft 28 and said shaft 56 is :secured at its lower end in any suitable manner to drive mechanism Stl for rotation by said mechanism. Shaft 28 is provided with a key 58 fixed thereto and shaft S6 is provided with a longitudinally extending keyway 59 into which said key 58 extends so that shaft 25 and carrier 26 rotate with shaft S6 but are movable longitudinally with respect to said shaft. Inner and outer sleeve bearings du and 62, respectively, are

secured to the upper and lower ends of member 52 and shaft 56 rotates on bearings 62.

.When the conveyor 24 is in its lowered position with the material holders immersed in the reagents in the receptacles, collar i4 rests on a cam 66 which is rotated, preferably continuously during the operation of the appa- E ratus, by :a motor and reduction gear unit dit, causing conveyor 24 to vertically reciprocate through a short stroke, the upper limit of the movement being indicated by the ydashed line 69 of l. ribis reciprocating movement causes corresponding movement of the tissue holders in the reagents which tends to increase the penetration of the reagents into the tissue and decreases neces-V sary immersion time. lt will be noted that in the lowered position of the ,conveyor with collar 413.- engaging cam ed, the weight of Ithe conveyor is supported by the cam and motor-gear unit d.

Pursuant to the invention, means are provided to reduce the load on the vcam 6h and the motor-gear unit 68. Disposed within tubular member 52 and mounted for rotational and longitudinal movement relative thereto on bearings @il is a shaft which extends downardly through frame members ft and said lower bearing 6h, and in the lowered position of the conveyor the lower end of the shaft is at a short distance from the bottom 72 of base lll. The upper end of shaft '7% is press fitted, or otherwise suitably connected, to a collar 7dwhich is press fitted, or otherwise secured, to the upper end of shaft 2S,- internally thereof. Accordingly, shafts 2S and 7G move together as a unit with carrier 2e of the conveyor.

The lower end of shaft 7@ is provided with a loadrelief spring device 'le which is carried by said shaft and movable therewith. VDevice 76 is positionedon shaft tl so that it engages the bottom l2 of base lll, when th conveyor is in its lowered position, and is thereby compressed to impart an upward biasing force to the shaft to relieve or balance a substantial part of the load on the cam and motor-gear unit due to the weight of the conveyor.

As best shown in FlG. 3, the load-relief device 7d comprises a helical compression spring 7? having its convolutions at the upper part thereof adjacent to each otherwhile theV convolutions of the remaining part of the spring are spread apart so that they may be cornpressed to exert an upward biasing force on the conveyor. The convolutions at the upper part of the spring frictionally engage the lower end of the shaft so that the spring is movable therewith and will remain on the shaft when the conveyor is in its upper position.

In the position shown in FG. 1, the conveyor is in its lowered position with collar dii engaging cam 66 for reciprocating the conveyor, and the lower end of spring 73 is in engagement with the bottom 72 of the base. With the collar engaging the cam at a high point thereof, the lower convolutions of the spring are partly compressed and exert an upward force on ythe conveyor to balance a substantial part of the load on the cam and bearings of the motor-gear unit. However, enough load of the conveyor remains on the cam to assure contact of the collar 44 at all times therewith and to assure downward movement of the conveyor when the cam moves to a low point thereof. During such movement, the conveyor causes further compression of the spring resulting in an increase in the upward balancing force thereof which assists the upward movement of the conveyor as the cam moves from a low point thereof to a high point.

Means are provided on spring '73 of the load-relief device to vary the position at which the spring engages the base bottom '72 during movement of the conveyor 24 to its lowered position to thereby vary the compression of the spring and the upward biasing force on the conveyor. More particularly, a member or disc Sil is mounted for rotational movement on the upper convolutions of the spring so that the position of the disc on the spring may be varied lengthwise thereof. Disc S0 comprises a body portion 82 having ends 84 and 86 which are spaced from each other lengthwise of the spring to permit a convolution of the spring to pass between said ends, said body portion being in the form of the helix of the convolutions at the upper part of the spring. Upstanding tabs S3 are provided along the periphery of the body portion S2 to facilitate rotating the disc. ljart of the upper surface of the body portion of disc Si) engages the lower end of shaft 7% so that the biasing force due to the compression of the spring is transmitted from the spring, via disc Sil, to the lower end of the shaft. From the foregoing it will be seen that by rotating disc S0, varying lengths of spring 7S will depend from the lower end of shaft 7@ and the lower end of the spring will engage the bottom 72 of the base at various corresponding positions during the lowering movement of the conveyor. This will result in varying the amounts of compression of the spring, since the lower end of the shaft 'tl is always lowered to the same position and, accordingly, varying biasing forces will be applied to said shaft itl and carrier 26 of conveyor Zd.

While we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein specilically illustrated or described, and that certain changes in the form and arrangement of parts and in the specific manner of practicing the invention may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principles of this invention within the scope of the appended claims,

What we claim is:

l. immersion apparatus, comprising a material holder, a movable support therefor, a receptacle for a liquid in which the material is immersed, motor-actuated means operatively connected to said support for repeatedly moving said support for moving the material in the liquid repeatedly during the immersion of the material, and means for counteracting at least part of the force of said movable support on said actuating means during said `operation of the actuating means comprising a hollow shaft secured to said support and movable therewith, an inner shaft disposed within said hollow shaft and secured thereto for movement as a unit with said hollow shaft, and means for applying a force toV said inner shaft during said immersion period in opposition to said force of said support.

2. Immersion apparatus, com rising a material holder, a movable support therefor, a receptacle for a liquid in which the material is immersed, motor-actuated means operatively connected to said support for repeatedly moving said support for moving the material in the liquid repeatedly during the immersion of the material, and means for counteracting at least part of the force of said movable support on said actuating means during said operation of the actuating means comprising a hollow shaft secured to said support and movable therewith, an inner shaft disposed within said hollow shaft and secured thereto for movement as a unit with said hollow shaft, a stationary tubular member disposed between said hollow shaft and said inner shaft for guiding said movement of said shafts, and means for applying a force to said inner shaft during said immersion period in opposition to said force of said support.

3. immersion apparatus, comprising a material holder, a movable support therefor, a receptacle for a liquid in which the material is immersed, motor-actuated means operatively connected to said support for repeatedly moving said support for moving the material in the liquid repeatedly during the immersion of the material, and means for counteracting at least part of the force of said movable support on said actuating means during said operation of the actuating means comprising a hollow shaft secured to said support and movable therewith, an inner shaft disposed within said hollow shaft and secured thereto for movement as a unit with said hollow shaft, a resilient load-relief device mounted on said inner shaft and movable therewith, and means in the path of movement of said inner shaft engageable by said load-relief device for exerting on said movable support a force in a direction opposite to the force of said movable support on said actuated means.

4. In immersion apparatus having a conveyor mounted for moving a material holder into and out of a receptacle containing a reagent in which the material is to be immersed, said conveyor comprising an outer shaft, actuating means operatively engageable with said outer shaft for repeatedly moving said conveyor back and forth while the material is immersed in the liquid, and means for counteracting at least part of the load of said conveyor on said actuating means during the immersion period, comprising an inner shaft connected to and movable as a unit with said outer shaft, and means for applying to said inner shaft of the conveyor a force acting in opposition lto the load of said conveyor on said actuating means and thereby applying said opposition force to said conveyor.

5. In immersion apparatus having a conveyor mounted for moving a material holder into and out of a receptacle containing a reagent in which the material is to be immersed, said conveyor comprising an outer shaft, actuating means operatively engageable with said outer shaft for repeatedly moving said conveyor back and forth while the material is immersed in the liquid, and means for counteracting at least part of the load of said conveyor on said actuating means during the immersion period, comprising an inner shaft connected to and movable as a unit with said outer shaft, 'a 'stationary tubular member disposed between said hollow shaft and said inner shaft for guiding said movement of said shafts, and means for applying to saidinner shaft of the conveyor a force acting in opposition to the load of said conveyor on said actuating means and thereby applying said opposition force to said conveyor.

6. Immersion apparatus, Vcomprising a material holder, a movablesupport therefor, a receptacle for a liquid in which the material is immersed, motor-actuating means operatively connected to said support for supporting the latter and for repeatedly moving said support to move the material in the liquid in said receptacle repeatedly during the immersion of the material in said liquid, and means carried by said support and movable therewith for counteracting at least part of the force of said movable support on said actuating means during said operation of the actuating means.

7. Immersion apparatus, comprising a material holder, a movable support therefor, a receptacle for a liquid in which the material is immersed, motor-actuating means operatively connected to said support for supporting the latter and for repeatedly moving saidsupport to move the material in the liquid in said receptacle repeatedly during the immersion of the material in said liquid, and means carried by said support and movable therewith for counteracting at least part of the force of said movable support on said actuating means during said operation of the actuating means, said last mentioned means comprising a resilient load-relief device acting in opposition to said force of said movable support on said actuating means.

8. Immersion apparatus, comprising a material holder, a movable Support therefor, a receptacle for a liquid in which the material is immersed, motor-actuating means operatively connected to said support for supporting the latter and for repeatedly moving said support to move the material in the liquid in said receptacle repeatedly during the immersion of the material in said liquid, means carried by said support and movable therewith for counteracting at least part of the force of said movable support on said actuating means during said operation of the actuating means, said last mentioned means comprising a resilient load-relief device acting in opposition to said force of said movable support on said actuating means, and means associated with said load-relief device for adjusting the magnitude of the counteracting action thereof' which opposes said force of the movable support on said actuating means.

i 9. In immersion apparatus having a conveyor mounted for moving a material holder into and out of a receptacle containing a reagent in which the material is to be immersed, and actuating means operatively engageable with said conveyor for supporting the latter and forrepeatedly moving said conveyor back and forth while the material is immersed in the reagent in said receptacle, means cari ried by said conveyor and movable rtherewith for counteracting at least part of the load of said conveyor on said actuating means during they immersion period, and means in the path of movement of said means carried by said conveyor for actuating said means carried by said conveyor to apply `a counteracting force on said conveyor in a direction opposite tov the load of the conveyor on said actuating means.

10. In immersion apparatus having a conveyor mounted for moving a material holder into and out of a receptacle containing a reagent in which the material is to be immersed, and actuating means operatively engageable with said conveyor for supporting the latter and for repeatedly moving said conveyor vback land forthy While the material is immersed in the reagent in said receptacle, spring means carried by said conveyor and movable therewith for counteracting at least part of the load of said conveyor on said actuating means during the immersion period, means in the path of movement of saidv spring means for actuating said spring means to apply a counteracting force on said conveyor in a direction opposite to the load of the conveyor on said actuating means, and means carried by said spring means for adjusting the magnitude of the counteracting force thereof on said conveyor.

l1. In immersion apparatus having a conveyor mounted for moving a material holder into and out of a receptacle containing a reagent in which the material is to be immersed, and actuating means operatively engageable with said conveyor for supporting the latter and for repeatedly moving said conveyor back and forth while the material is immersed in the reagent inv said receptacle, compressible spring means carried by said conveyor and movable therewith for counteracting at least part of the load of said conveyor on said actuating means during the immersion period, stationary means in the path'of movement of said spring means for compressing the latter to thereby apply a counteracting force to said conveyor in a direction opposite to the load of the conveyor on said actuating means, and a member mounted for rotation on said spring means for adjusting the position of said spring means on said conveyor to vary the magnitude of the counteracting force thereof on said conveyor.

l2. In immersion apparatus having a conveyor mounted for moving a material holder into and out of a receptacle containing a reagent in which the material is to be immersed, and actuating means operatively engageable with said conveyor for supporting the latter and for repeatedly moving said conveyor back and forth while ther material is immersed in the reagent in said receptacle, means for counteracting at least part of the load of rsaid conveyor on said actuating means `during the immersion period comprising a member carried by said conveyor and movable therewith, a coil spring having convolution-s at one end thereof adjacent each other and having convolutions at the :other end thereof in spaced relation to each other, said member being disposed within said adjacent convolutions of said spring and in frictional engagement therewith so that said spring is carried by said member and movable therewith, and means in the path of movement of said member and engageable by said other end of said coil spring for compressing the spaced convolutions thereof to exert a force on said conveyor in a direction opposite to the load of the conveyor on said actuating means.

13. In immersion apparatus having a conveyor mounted for moving a material holder into and out of a receptacle containing a reagent in which the material is to be immersed, and actuating means operatively engageable with said conveyor for supporting the latter and for repeatedly moving said conveyor back `and forth while the material is immersed in the reagent in the receptacle, means for 'counteracting at least part of the load of said conveyor on said actuating means during the immersion period comprising a member secured to said conveyor and movable therewith, a resilient load-relief device comprising a coil spring having convolutions at one end thereof adjacent each other and convoluti-ons at the :other end thereof in spaced relation to each other, said member being disposed within said adjacent convolutions oi said spring and in frictional engagement therewith, whereby said spring is carried by said :member and movable therewith, lmeans in the path of movement of said member v and engageable by said other end of said coil spring for compressing the spaced convolutions thereof *for exerting on said conveyor a force in a direction opposite to the load of the conveyor on said actuating means, and another member mounted for rotation on said adjacent convolutions of said spring `and being in abutting relation with said iirst mentioned member for adjusting the position ofsaid'spring on said first mentioned member for adjusting the -force of said spring on said conveyor.

14. Immersion apparatus comprising a horizontal support for a plurality of receptacles for liquids in which the material is immersed, a vertically movable support for a material holder for moving the lmaterial into and out of each of said receptacles ffor immersion in the liquids 'in said receptacles, respectively, motor actuated means operatively connected to said support'to raise and lower the latter a predetermined distance formoving the material into and yout of said receptacles and for repeatedly moving` said support repeatedly a shorter distance during the immersion of the material in the liquid in said receptacles, respectively, and means operable only during part of the lowering of the material holder and during the periods of immersion `of the material in the liquids for counteracting at least part of the force of said movable support on said motor actuated means.

. 15. Immersion apparatus comprising a horizontal support for a plurality of receptaclesfor liquids in which the material is immersed, a vertically movable support for a material holder for moving the material into and out of each of said receptacles for immersion in the liquids in `said receptacles, respectively, motor actuated means operatively connected to said support to raise and lower the latter a predetermined distance for moving the material into and out of said receptacles and for repeatedly moving said support repeatedly a shorter distance during the immersion of the material in the liquids in said receptacles, respectively, and means operable only during part of the lowering of the material holder and during the periods of immersion of the material in the liquids for counteracting at least part of the force of said movable support on said motor actuated means, said force counteracting means comprising a compression spring which is at least lpartly compressed during said period of immersion and which is released from said compression when the support for the material holder is raised for moving the material holder from one receptacle to another by said motor actuated means.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 729,207 Mulligan May 26, 1903 964,651 Kirk July 19, 1910 973,641 Dysart Oct. 25, 1910 1,005,780 Raber Oct. 10, 1911 2,341,198 Weiskopf Feb, 8, 1944 2,789,550 Black Apr. 23, 1957 2,872,893 Kling Feb. 10, 1959 2,872,894 Isreeli Feb. 10, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 8,083 Great Britain Apr. 11, 1908 

3. IMMERSION APPARATUS, COMPRISING A MATERIAL HOLDER, A MOVABLE SUPPORT THEREFOR, A RECEPTACLE FOR A LIQUID IN WHICH THE MATERIAL IS IMMERSED, MOTOR-ACTUATED MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORT FOR REPEATEDLY MOVING SAID SUPPORT FOR MOVING THE MATERIAL IN THE LIQUID REPEATEDLY DURING THE IMMERSION OF THE MATERIAL, AND MEANS FOR COUNTERACTING AT LEAST PART OF THE FORCE OF SAID MOVABLE SUPPORT ON SAID ACTUATING MEANS DURING SAID OPERATION OF THE ACTUATING MEANS COMPRISING A HOLLOW SHAFT SECURED TO SAID SUPPORT AND MOVABLE THEREWITH, AN INNER SHAFT DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOLLOW SHAFT AND SECURED THERETO FOR MOVEMENT AS A UNIT WITH SAID HOLLOW SHAFT, A RESILIENT LOAD-RELIEF DEVICE MOUNTED ON SAID INNER SHAFT AND MOVABLE THEREWITH, AND MEANS IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID INNER SHAFT ENGAGEABLE BY SAID LOAD-RELIEF DEVICE FOR EXERTING ON SAID MOVABLE SUPPORT A FORCE IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE FORCE OF SAID MOVABLE SUPPORT ON SAID ACTUATED MEANS. 